1. The Flow of Food: Storage

2. Apply Your Knowledge: Test Your Food Safety Knowledge
True or False: Potato salad that has been prepared in-house and stored at 41°F (5°C) must be discarded after three days
True or False: Food can be stored near chemicals as long as the chemicals are stored in sturdy, clearly labeled containers
True or False: Storing cans of tomatoes at 65°F (18°C) is acceptable
True or False: Raw chicken must be stored below ready-to- eat food, such as pumpkin pie, if it is stored in the same walk- in refrigerator
True or False: If stored food has passed its expiration date, it should be served at once
Instructor Notes
Answers:
False
True
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3. General Storage Guidelines
Label Food
Potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food prepared on-site must contain a label that includes:
The name of the food
The date by which it should be sold, consumed or discarded
Instructor Notes
Labeling is required when the food has been held for longer than twenty-four hours.
If an item has been previously cooked and stored and is later mixed with another food item to make a new dish, the label on the new dish must indicate the discard date of the previously cooked item.
For example, if ground beef has been cooked and then stored at 41F (5C) or lower and is later used to make meat sauce, the meat sauce must be labeled with the discard date of the ground beef.

4. General Storage Guidelines
Rotate products to ensure the oldest inventory is used first
One way to rotate products is to follow FIFO:
Identify the use-by or expiration date of products
Shelve products with the earliest dates in front of those with later dates
Use products stored in front first
Instructor Notes
The first in, first out (FIFO) method is commonly used to ensure that refrigerated, frozen, and dry products are properly rotated during storage.
There are several ways to follow FIFO. This slide illustrates one way.

5. General Storage Guidelines
Deplete stored product on a regular basis
If product is not sold or consumed by a predetermined date:
Throw it out
Clean and sanitize the container
Refill the container with new product
Instructor Notes
Establish a schedule to ensure that stored product is depleted on a regular basis.
For example, flour stored in plastic bins should be used within six to twelve months from the time it was placed in the bins. After that time period, the bins should be emptied, the flour discarded, and the bins cleaned and sanitized.

6. General Storage Guidelines
Discard food that has passed the manufacturer’s expiration date
Potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food that was prepared in-house:
Can be stored for 7 days at 41°F (5°C) or lower
Must be thrown out after 7 days

7. General Storage Guidelines
Transfer food between containers properly
If food is removed from its original package:
Put it in a clean, sanitized container
Cover it
Label the container with:
The name of the food
The original use-by or expiration date
Instructor Notes
Never use empty food containers to store chemicals or put food in empty chemical containers.

8. General Storage Guidelines
Keep potentially hazardous food out of the temperature danger zone
Store deliveries after inspection
Take out only as much food as can be prepared at one time
Put prepared food away until needed
Properly cool and store cooked food when it’s no longer needed

9. General Storage Guidelines
Check temperatures of stored food and storage areas
Instructor Notes
Temperatures should be checked at the beginning of the shift. Many establishments use a pre-shift checklist to guide employees through the process.
Photo courtesy of Roger Bonafield and Dingbats

10. General Storage Guidelines
Store food in designated storage areas
Do not store food:
Near chemicals or cleaning supplies
In restrooms
In locker rooms
In janitor closets
In furnace rooms
Under stairways or pipes
Instructor Notes
Food can be easily contaminated in the areas indicated in the slide.
Never store food near chemicals or cleaning supplies

11. General Storage Guidelines
Keep all storage areas clean and dry
Clean up spills immediately
Clean dollies, carts, transporters, and trays often
Instructor Notes
Floors, walls, and shelving in refrigerators, freezers, dry storerooms, and heated holding cabinets should be properly cleaned on a regular basis.
Spills and leaks should be cleaned up immediately to keep them from contaminating other food.

12. Refrigerated Storage Refrigerated Storage
Used to hold potentially hazardous food at 41°F (5°C) or lower
Slows the growth of microorganisms
Instructor Notes
Refrigeration slows the growth of microorganisms and helps keep them from growing to levels high enough to cause illness.
Discuss the How This Relates to Me on Essentials page 7-5. Note that some jurisdictions allow food to be held at 45F (7C) or lower.

13. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Set refrigerators to the proper temperature
The setting must keep the food at an internal temperature of 41°F (5°C) or lower
Instructor Notes
At least once during each shift, check the temperature of refrigeration units.
Place hanging thermometers in the warmest part of the refrigerator. These should be checked for accuracy.
Some units have a temperature readout on the outside. These should also be checked for accuracy.

14. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Monitor food temperature regularly
Randomly sample the internal temperature of stored food with a calibrated thermometer

15. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Do not overload refrigerators
Storing too many products:
Prevents good airflow
Makes units work harder
Overloaded refrigerator

16. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Use open shelving in the unit
Lining shelving with the following restricts air circulation:
Aluminum foil
Sheet pans
Paper

17. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Never place hot food in refrigerators
This can warm the interior and put other food into the temperature danger zone

18. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Keep refrigerator doors closed as much as possible
Frequent opening lets warm air inside
Use cold curtains to help maintain temperatures

19. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Store raw meat, poultry, and fish:
Separately from cooked and ready-to-eat food OR
Below cooked and ready-to-eat food
Instructor Notes
Raw meat, poultry, and fish should be stored separately from cooked and ready-to-eat food. If these items cannot be stored separately, than store them below cooked and ready-to-eat food. This will prevent raw product juices from dripping onto prepared food and causing a foodborne illness.
Raw meat, poultry, and fish should be stored in the following top-to-bottom order in refrigerators: whole fish, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meats and fish, whole and ground poultry. This order is based upon the required minimum internal cooking temperature of each food.
Improper Storage

20. Refrigerated Storage Guidelines
Wrap food properly
Leaving it uncovered can lead to cross-contamination

21. Apply Your Knowledge: Load the Fridge
Store each item on the proper storage shelf 1 2
Cooked and ready-to-eat food A C
Whole, raw meat 3 4
Instructor Notes
Answers: C A D B B
Raw poultry D
Raw ground meat
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22. Frozen Storage Guidelines
When storing food in freezers:
Keep freezers at a temperature that will keep products frozen
Check freezer temperatures regularly
Place deliveries in freezers as soon as they have been inspected
Clearly label frozen food that was prepared on site
Instructor Notes
Freezing does not kill all bacteria; however, it slows their growth substantially.
Keep freezers at a temperature that will keep products frozen. This temperature will vary from product to product. A temperature that is good for one product may affect the quality of another.
Never hold frozen food at room temperature.
When freezing food that has been prepared on site, clearly label the food. Identify the packages contents, and use-by date if there is one.

23. Dry Storage Guidelines
Keep storerooms:
Cool (50°F to 70°F [10°C to 21°C])
Dry (50% to 60% humidity)
Well ventilated
Clean
Instructor Notes
Moisture and heat are the biggest dangers to dry and canned food. Use a hygrometer to measure humidity.
Good ventilation in dry storage areas will help keep temperature and humidity constant.

24. Dry Storage Guidelines
When storing food in dry storage keep it:
Away from walls
Out of direct sunlight
At least 6” (15 cm) off the floor

25. Storing Meat When storing fresh meat:
Store it at an internal temperature of 41°F (5°C) or lower
Wrap it in airtight, moisture-proof material OR
Place it in a clean, sanitized container

26. Storing Poultry When storing fresh poultry:
Store it at an internal temperature of 41°F (5°C) or lower
Store ice-packed product as is in self-draining containers
Change the ice often
Clean and sanitize the container regularly

27. Storing Fish When storing fresh fish:
Store it at an internal temperature of 41°F (5°C) or lower
Store ice-packed product as is in self-draining containers
Keep fillets and steaks in original packaging
Store frozen fish in moisture-proof wrapping
Instructor Notes
If fish is stored in self-draining containers, the ice should be changed often and the container should be sanitized regularly.
If fillets and steaks are removed from their original packaging they should be tightly wrapped in moisture-proof material.

28. Storing Eggs and Egg Products
Shell Eggs:
Store at an air temperature of 45°F (7°C) or lower
Keep eggs in refrigerated storage until used
Use eggs within 4-5 weeks of packing date
Liquid Eggs:
Store according to manufacturer’s recommendations
Keep in refrigerated storage until used
Dried Eggs:
Store product in a dry, cool storeroom
Instructor Notes
Dried egg product should be refrigerated at 41°F (5°C) or lower when reconstituted (mixed with water). Do not reconstitute more dried egg product than is needed for immediate use.

29. Storing Shellfish When storing shellfish:
Store alive at an air temperature of 45°F (7°C) or lower
Store in original containers
Keep shellstock tags on file for 90 days from the harvest date of the shellfish
Obtain a variance if storing shellfish in a display tank prior to service
Instructor Notes
Molluscan shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, scallops) can be stored in a display tank prior to service under one of two conditions:
The tank carries a sign stating that the shellfish are for display only.
You obtain a variance from the health department to serve the shellfish on display. To obtain a variance, a HACCP plan must be submitted showing that water from other tanks will not flow into the display tank; using the tank will not affect product quality or safety; and shellstock tags have been retained as required.

30. Storing Dairy When storing dairy: Store fresh at 41°F (5°C) or lower
Follow FIFO
Discard product that has passed use-by or expiration dates

31. Storing Produce When storing fresh produce:
Storage temperatures will vary by product
Product packed on ice can be stored as is
Do not wash product prior to storage
When soaking or storing product in standing water or an ice water slurry:
Do not mix different items
Do not mix multiple batches of the same item
Instructor Notes
Whole, raw produce and raw, cut vegetables delivered packed on ice can be stored as is. The containers must be self draining, and ice should be changed regularly.
Most produce should not be washed prior to storage.

32. Apply Your Knowledge: What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Find the unsafe storage practices in this picture:
Instructor Notes
Answers: There are ten unsafe storage practices in this picture:
The chef is going to place a large amount of hot food into the refrigerator.
The chef is going to store an uncovered stockpot of cooked food in the refrigerator.
The refrigerator is overloaded.
The chef is smoking a cigarette.
The chef has an uncovered bandage on his hand.
Some items in the refrigerator are labeled, while others are not.
Food has been stored on the floor and one bag has a tear.
Chemicals and cleaning tools have been stored with food.
Many of the dry goods stored on the shelf are missing labels.
From the cobwebs, it appears the establishment does not do a good job cleaning the storeroom and rotating stock.
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